Our school uses probes from the company Vernier, a complete list of probes can be found here and many are suitable for ecological studies (http://www.vernier.com/probes/). We have brought to the conference the following sensors, which we hooked up to T1-84 calculators with an easy link connector:
-
At this station, try collecting data in the various samples of soil. What is the CO2 content of the room? How do you increase or decrease the immediate CO2 content surrounding the probe? Brainstorm in your group a list of possible research questions to the attached lab. The focus of planning labs is on student initiated design, where students decide up on the focus and methodology of their study independently.
We teach at a school in the heart of downtown Toronto. For this reason, it is sometimes difficult to be "close to nature" for field studies and ecology labs. However, we are very fortunate to have our very own woodlot, the Branksome Woodlot, complete with an outdoor classroom.
In addition to using this, we have managed to be creative with respect to covering our content while allowing students some "outdoor time" to complete labs.
We will include a sample of our favorite labs on our wiki (which you will have access to at the end of our presentation)
At this station, read through the Survivorship Curve Lab. (photocopied from textbook: IB Diploma Programme, Course Companion, Allott & Mindorff)
At our school, we do the ecology unit in the fall, and this unit often falls around Hallowe’en. Students are very excited to take a trip to the St. James cemetery so close Hallowe’en. It makes the activity that much more fun. The cemetery is approximately a 10 minute walk from our school and this lab is do-able during a full period and a portion of the lunch hour.
Station 3: Computer Technology and Ecology
There are a wide variety of uses of technology when studying ecology. You Tube videos take students to ecosystems they cannot visit in their own cities and online data saves time in the collection of data to analyse to understand the processes within an ecosystem. The three we will focus on today are listed below. Please visit each activity and answer the questions on the chart paper after reading through each example.
a) Pitfall Traps Database- This is an online database from a population study along a transect. Students learn to manipulate an excel document to filter and organize the data collected. Please listen to the following podcast for an explanation of the activity described on the webpage.
b) Wikis for Online Debates or Cooperative learning: Web 2.0 tools are fun and teach technological literacy. It encourages all students to read online and actively participate/ contribute. The following wiki is an example of how a typical jigsaw about greenhouse gases and climate change, can be made more interactive by allowing students to create their own webpage with links, videos, images: http://bhbiology.wikispaces.com/Ecology+and+Conservation+Main
c)Google Docs- Google spreadsheets are a great way for students to share data collected in ecological studies. The following example, is a competition held at our school for travelling to school in a sustainable way. The google doc, allowed all users to update their class results. This was a public site, but it could be made private: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsksdBgmoXWpdDdJWEoxdVBiS1lxY09XUGNiTm9VcEE&hl=en
Questions for discussion:
1) What are the strengths and limitations of each forum for learning. Create a list on the chart paper.
2) Brainstorm other uses of Wikis, Google Docs, Podcasts or Online Databases and list them on the chart paper.
Station 4: Philosophy and Ecology
It is important for students to question scientific fact, ideas, laws and debate theories. Sometimes there is not a right or wrong answer and this is exciting to think about. The following are two activities, that challenge students to think outside the box and question some underlying ideas in ecology.
a) The precautionary principle is an excellent concept to apply to the debate surrounding global warming. The following video clearly explains the concept:
The second philosophical activity is for students to consider the role of in situ and ex situ conservation in helping endangered species. Please see the following files explaining the activity.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What debates or activities would you do with your students surrounding the precautionary principle?
2. How would you have your students summarize their debate for the in situ/ex situ activity?
3. What are the strengths and limitations of these philosophical (Theory of Knowledge) activities?
Station 5: Ecological Data based Questions
Databased Questions are a great opportunity for students to experience real data from published scientific studies. They serve to enhance their ability to apply concepts learned in the classroom, as well as to gain better practice with the analysis of new data. Since Branksome Hall is an IB (International Baccalaureate) school, all Biology students will write a final IB exam in May of their grade 12 year. On this exam, they will be presented with at least two large databased questions. It is therefore important for us to give students an opportunity to practice these types of questions throughout grade 11 and 12.
Even if your school is not an IB school, presenting your students with these types of questions is very good practice for the reasons above.
At this station, you will be presented with two examples of ecological data based questions. Observe the data and answer the questions on the extra paper provided (please do not write on the actual handouts). Note: Answer keys are on the back, but please do not check until you have attempted the Qs!!
Here is a word document with the examples of databased questions that were used at this station. Feel free to use them with your classes!
Kathleen and Julia to show wiki with resources to participants and will collect interested participants emails to invite them to join the wiki to have access to all files.
Julia and Kathleen will share some school wide ecological events that Branksome does to celebrate biodiversity (Keep well the woodlot event, Butterfly Garden, Green Fashion Show, Group 4 and BESAP)
Introduction:
Overview ppt:- Julia - Project Wild Activity- Deadly Links
http://voicethread.com/share/1153189/2) Stations X 5
(approximately 5 mins per station for a total of 25 mins) Use of class timer for time management: http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/intech/javatimer/JavaTimer.htmlStation 1: Using Probes in Planning labs
Our school uses probes from the company Vernier, a complete list of probes can be found here and many are suitable for ecological studies (http://www.vernier.com/probes/). We have brought to the conference the following sensors, which we hooked up to T1-84 calculators with an easy link connector:
-
At this station, try collecting data in the various samples of soil. What is the CO2 content of the room? How do you increase or decrease the immediate CO2 content surrounding the probe? Brainstorm in your group a list of possible research questions to the attached lab. The focus of planning labs is on student initiated design, where students decide up on the focus and methodology of their study independently.
Here are some statistics that are useful for a ecology planning lab:
Here are some student exemplars:
Station 2: Inner City Labs-
We teach at a school in the heart of downtown Toronto. For this reason, it is sometimes difficult to be "close to nature" for field studies and ecology labs. However, we are very fortunate to have our very own woodlot, the Branksome Woodlot, complete with an outdoor classroom.
In addition to using this, we have managed to be creative with respect to covering our content while allowing students some "outdoor time" to complete labs.
We will include a sample of our favorite labs on our wiki (which you will have access to at the end of our presentation)
At this station, read through the Survivorship Curve Lab. (photocopied from textbook: IB Diploma Programme, Course Companion, Allott & Mindorff)
At our school, we do the ecology unit in the fall, and this unit often falls around Hallowe’en. Students are very excited to take a trip to the St. James cemetery so close Hallowe’en. It makes the activity that much more fun. The cemetery is approximately a 10 minute walk from our school and this lab is do-able during a full period and a portion of the lunch hour.
Station 3: Computer Technology and Ecology
There are a wide variety of uses of technology when studying ecology. You Tube videos take students to ecosystems they cannot visit in their own cities and online data saves time in the collection of data to analyse to understand the processes within an ecosystem. The three we will focus on today are listed below. Please visit each activity and answer the questions on the chart paper after reading through each example.
a) Pitfall Traps Database- This is an online database from a population study along a transect. Students learn to manipulate an excel document to filter and organize the data collected. Please listen to the following podcast for an explanation of the activity described on the webpage.
They create graphs in excel:
http://www.saburchill.com/IBbiology/ICT/dataprocessing/029.html
b) Wikis for Online Debates or Cooperative learning: Web 2.0 tools are fun and teach technological literacy. It encourages all students to read online and actively participate/ contribute. The following wiki is an example of how a typical jigsaw about greenhouse gases and climate change, can be made more interactive by allowing students to create their own webpage with links, videos, images:
http://bhbiology.wikispaces.com/Ecology+and+Conservation+Main
c)Google Docs- Google spreadsheets are a great way for students to share data collected in ecological studies. The following example, is a competition held at our school for travelling to school in a sustainable way. The google doc, allowed all users to update their class results. This was a public site, but it could be made private:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AsksdBgmoXWpdDdJWEoxdVBiS1lxY09XUGNiTm9VcEE&hl=en
Questions for discussion:1) What are the strengths and limitations of each forum for learning. Create a list on the chart paper.
2) Brainstorm other uses of Wikis, Google Docs, Podcasts or Online Databases and list them on the chart paper.
Station 4: Philosophy and Ecology
It is important for students to question scientific fact, ideas, laws and debate theories. Sometimes there is not a right or wrong answer and this is exciting to think about. The following are two activities, that challenge students to think outside the box and question some underlying ideas in ecology.a) The precautionary principle is an excellent concept to apply to the debate surrounding global warming. The following video clearly explains the concept:
Here is a word document explaining the concept
Here is a student exemplar of a paper written about the application of the precautionary principle to GMO foods:
The second philosophical activity is for students to consider the role of in situ and ex situ conservation in helping endangered species. Please see the following files explaining the activity.
Questions for Discussion:
1. What debates or activities would you do with your students surrounding the precautionary principle?
2. How would you have your students summarize their debate for the in situ/ex situ activity?
3. What are the strengths and limitations of these philosophical (Theory of Knowledge) activities?
Station 5: Ecological Data based Questions
Databased Questions are a great opportunity for students to experience real data from published scientific studies. They serve to enhance their ability to apply concepts learned in the classroom, as well as to gain better practice with the analysis of new data. Since Branksome Hall is an IB (International Baccalaureate) school, all Biology students will write a final IB exam in May of their grade 12 year. On this exam, they will be presented with at least two large databased questions. It is therefore important for us to give students an opportunity to practice these types of questions throughout grade 11 and 12.
Even if your school is not an IB school, presenting your students with these types of questions is very good practice for the reasons above.
At this station, you will be presented with two examples of ecological data based questions. Observe the data and answer the questions on the extra paper provided (please do not write on the actual handouts). Note: Answer keys are on the back, but please do not check until you have attempted the Qs!!
Here is a word document with the examples of databased questions that were used at this station. Feel free to use them with your classes!
3) Closing-
Kathleen and Julia to show wiki with resources to participants and will collect interested participants emails to invite them to join the wiki to have access to all files.Julia and Kathleen will share some school wide ecological events that Branksome does to celebrate biodiversity (Keep well the woodlot event, Butterfly Garden, Green Fashion Show, Group 4 and BESAP)
Total Time = 45 mins.